Behind the Crown [OoC], Out-of-Character information for Behind the Crown Options

[Koekepan]

Control thoughts is a tough call. In my iteration, as mind-affecting, it's illegal. You'd have to pay extra for that formula. Or work it out yourself.

[pbangarth]

Control thoughts is a tough call. In my iteration, as mind-affecting, it's illegal. You'd have to pay extra for that formula. Or work it out yourself.

Yeah, we talked about it earlier. If Mary Margaret can't come up with it, then Blue will just have to save his money and karma for later. Poor guy.

[Koekepan]

OK, so we can fast-forward through downtime.

Let's just get a detailed OOC list here from each of you on what you're committing to for your downtime. Just for the record, as it were.

[pbangarth]

Items Blue wants to buy with 60,500 nuyen available:
(Try ordering the following through Mary Margaret McMahon and hope Mitsuhama has had enough and stops keeping an eye on her.)

F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) spell formula – 1,500 Street Index 2
F1 Increase Reflexes +3 spell formula – 1,000 Street Index 2
F3 Control Thoughts spell formula - 1500 Street Index 2(+? maybe more because of the touchy nature of the spell)
F1 Sustaining Focus (Health) – 15,000 Street Index 2

Materials for spell-on-a-stick:
1 X F6 armor – 3,600
1 X F6 Powerbolt – 3,600

(Requested earlier through Karmakaze’s contact)

Form-fitting body armour, full suit – 2,000
Cougar fineblade knife (short) – 800 Street Index 3

Order of Operations: (Assume purchases all go through, reorder if some fail)

1) Request items from Mary Margaret, let her know he is busy for 6 days, maximum availability time frame for these items is 7 days (more for Control thoughts spell?)
2) Rebuild F6 Lodge in Blue’s apartment – 6 days
3) On 7th day negotiate with Mary Margaret and purchase items
4) Make the two spells-on-sticks, about 1 day

Learn spells with Sorcery 6, Spell Pool 7 and Complementary Skill Magic Background Knowledge 3

5) Learn F1 Increase Reflexes +3 spell, 1 day
6) Learn F3 Control Thoughts spell, 3 days or less if successful
7) Learn F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) spell, 4 days or less if successful, should work on first shot even with target 8

8 ) Rebond the F4 Focus, 4 hours

At this point Spell Pool drops to 6

9) Cast F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) into Focus till max successes, heal Drain [8 and 9 together about 1 day]
10) Bond F1 Focus, 1 hour
11) Cast F1 Increase Reflexes +3 into F1 Focus, heal Drain


12) Buy items from Karmakaze’s contact

Barring interruptions, all this should take about 19 days. Speaking of interruptions, Blue will have a F2 Sweez on guard duty any time summoning doesn't interfere with his work. He'll make it up to Sweez somehow.

[Koekepan]

OK, I'll put a fly in the ointment: all of that (rolls permitting) is reasonable, except that the availability for Control Thoughts will be 12/Force * 4, and the street index will be 8.

Those numbers would be different outside the enclave, but there's a definite factor of supply at work here.

[pbangarth]

Yup, I understand that spell is a difficult one to obtain. If it doesn't work, fine. One small factor in Blue's favour is that for negotiations regarding price as set by the Street Index, his WIL will still be 12.

And yes, I am having a small pang of regret about dropping that whopping number. Still doing it.

[Bastard]

I have increased Karmakaze's Body from 3 to 4.

You can see the update on my character sheet in Cast of Shadows: Karmakaze. Look under Karma for my balance.

I also want to purchase more gel ammunition with clips for her weapons, but I am looking through an old copy of Cannon Companion for other ideas.

Probably want to get some surveillance gear as well, seeing as she is a PI.

[Koekepan]

Gel ammunition will be readily available for her, as would any reasonable surveillance gear. She can just wave her PI authorisation and get geared up.

[pbangarth]

Let me know when you need dice rolls for negotiation, learning spells, etc.

[pbangarth]

Double post.

[Koekepan]

You can roll right now.

[pbangarth]

OK, here are the rolls for availability and cost. Learning spells, etc. to follow in another post. (Got called for dinner!)

I'm not sure whether, in game, these etiquette tests come before Blue builds his lodge, or on the seventh day after it is done, according to the order of operations above. Be kind.

OK, the BBB says halfway through the availability time, there needs to be a meet, so I hope during the lodge building process Blue can take some time each day to meet with Mary Margaret, otherwise lets just stretch the time Blue needs before the next run, OK?

Hmmm. I don't know where I got the cost for some of the items, but the list in the previous post is sometimes incorrect. I'll let you figure out if any extra successes in the availability apply to the base cost*street index.

Blue: Etiquette 3, WIL 12 during item acquisition, Negotiation 2

F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) spell formula (M level Drain)

availability 4/48 hrs: Etiquette 3 dice: 2 successes

price base cost 400 Street Index 2: Negotiation 2 dice: 2,4

F1 Increase Reflexes +3 spell formula (D level Drain)

availability 1/7 days: 3 dice : (Assume I need 2s?) 2 successes

price base cost 3,000 Street Index 2 : 2 dice: 1,5

F3 Control Thoughts spell formula (Yeah, right.) Availability 12/12 (days?) Cost 1,500 Street Index 8

availability target 12 : 3 dice : 4,2,1 NOPE.

F1 Sustaining Focus (Health)

availability 2/48 hrs: 3 dice: 3 successes

price 15,000 Street Index 2 : 2 dice: 6,3

Materials for spell-on-a-stick: I think these are just available, right?
1 X F6 armor – 3,600
1 X F6 Powerbolt – 3,600

Items from Karmakaze's contact

Form-fitting body armour, full suit – 2,000 no availability or street index issue

Cougar fineblade knife (short)

availability 5: 3 dice: 0 successes Well, shit.

[pbangarth]

Mmmm. Dinner was good!

Learn F1 Increase Reflexes +3 Spell: target 2, 1 day
Sorcery 6 + Spell Pool 6 + Owl 2= 14 dice: 14 successes
Complementary Skill Magic Background 3: 3 successes

==> 15 successes should be a couple of hours even with any distractions.

Learn F4 Increase Attribute (CHA): target 8, 4 days
14 dice: 2 successes
Complementary: 3 dice: 0 successes

==> 2 successes

Next batch of rolls later after "Will Trent".

[pbangarth]

Alright! Will Trent saved the little girl and broke the child trafficking ring.

So, here are the rest of the things Blue wants to do during the break. The following flips a couple of steps in the Order of Operations he planned earlier. hey, he's had days to think it through.

1) Bond F1 Sustaining Focus. About 1 hour.

2) Cast F1 Increase Reflexes +3 into F1 focus.

target REA 4, Sorcery 6 + Spell Pool 6 + Owl 2 = 14 dice: 7 successes

3) Drain Resistance: WIL 12 + Owl 2 + Spell Pool 1= 15 dice, Drain 2(D) : 12 successes No Drain.

4) Assuming Learning the F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) spell works, he will re-bond the F4 Sustaining Focus for the CHA spell. About 4 hours.

5) Cast F4 Increase Attribute (CHA) spell into the focus (this could take a while!)

Target CHA =4, Sorcery 6 + Spell Pool 6 + Owl 2 = 14 dice: 4 successes

Resist Drain target 3(M) : WIL 8 + Spell Pool 1 + Owl 2 = 11 dice: 9 successes No Drain.

Phew. I think this is it.

[Koekepan]

No, the meet cannot happen halfway through the lodge construction process. This is an absolute block of time that must be uninterrupted by anything save the sheer necessaries of life.

The materials for a pre-cast spell are readily available, no big deal. You lay down your cash and you get your stuff. Any talismonger could oblige from right off the shelf. Unlike the fancy body armour, which ... well, you get to postpone your dreams of dwarven axe-wielding rumbles.

Other than that, looking good so far.

[pbangarth]

No, the meet cannot happen halfway through the lodge construction process. This is an absolute block of time that must be uninterrupted by anything save the sheer necessaries of life.

The materials for a pre-cast spell are readily available, no big deal. You lay down your cash and you get your stuff. Any talismonger could oblige from right off the shelf. Unlike the fancy body armour, which ... well, you get to postpone your dreams of dwarven axe-wielding rumbles.

Other than that, looking good so far.

OK, then Blue will build his lodge first, which will take 6 days.

Then the rest of the purchasing, seeing as multiple purchases taking different lengths of time can happen simultaneously, takes up to 7 days.

Then the learning/bonding/casting takes 6 days.

So, everything that can be done should be done by the 19th day.

Oh! I still have to do the casting of the two spell-on-a-stick spells. I'll have Blue do these before his WIL drops, so before the rebonding of the F4 Sustaining Focus.

F6 armor: target 6, Drain 5(M): Sorcery 6 + Spell Pool 6 + Owl 2 = 14 dice : 4 successes. So, Barrier rating of 8.

Drain resistance 5(M): WIL 12 + Owl 2 = 14 dice : 6 successes No Drain.

F6 Powerbolt at Deadly level: target B, Drain 4(D): 14 dice: 4, 1, 4, 6, 1, 4, 5, 4, 1, 6, 1, 3, 5, 6

Oh, should have done exploding 6s: 3 dice: 5, 3, 9

So, the rolls are 4,1,4,11,1,4,5,4,1,9,1,3,5,15

Drain resistance: target 4(D), 14 dice + 1 Spell Pool = 15 dice: 8 successes No Drain.

Heh. Finished off the use of WIL 12 in style!

Why don't we give the poor guy a day or so of rest in there somewhere? Make it an even 3 weeks for all of this.

[pbangarth]

Oh. How much did all of this cost? Do I need to roll anything for that?

[Koekepan]

All the things that the dice said that you could get, you can get at list price.

[pbangarth]

Thanks.

Updated character sheet HERE.

[Koekepan]

OK, I think that we can continue, unless there was anything else at this stage? Did you want to add some padding to the timeframe for any other downtime activities?

[pbangarth]

Damn. Something came to me.in the middle of the night and I neglected to write it down. Give me a bit to try to remember.

[pbangarth]

Remembered!

'Armor and Society' in the main book talks about the reaction people in 'higher society' might have to someone wearing armour. Now, Blue's armour is not that distinctive, but it might be noticeable to some.

Blue has the Fashion spell which can alter the look and cut of clothing without changing the armour value, but he has it at F3, which cannot alter any of the items he has except the armor clothing from the main book, which can pass anyway. *sigh* So much for the idea I remembered!

So, I guess he will have to wait till the next break to try to buy a F6 Fashion spell to be able to make the armour he has look less conspicuous.

In general, for future reference, Blue can cast the F3 spell, with Drain 2(L) after sunset, with little chance of any serious Drain that can't heal in a matter of minutes, so for the 'armor clothing (3/0) he has, he should be able to change that look and any normal clothing pretty quickly and as often as he likes given his WIL of 8 plus any spell pool left over from the casting.

Oh, wow. Look at all those chic clothes listed in the Cannon Companion, with low availability scores and less than 1 Street Index! I'll look through those to give Blue some variety that doesn't require spellcasting. And he can change the colour/cut of those if he likes.

So many clothes! So little time!

[Koekepan]

Clothing options are good.

As far as armour is concerned, it really does vary on the context and how people perceive it. If Blue looks as if he might be a bodyguard or other officially designated roughhouser, that gives them a reason to think of him in those terms.

Another factor is that as a dwarf, he's often overlooked. Fair? No. Reasonable? Not very. Realistic? Yes. People's eyes are drawn to the 6'6" ork with the chipped tusk, not the 5' dwarf with the not-quite-obvious body armour and fairly nice jacket.

[pbangarth]

People's eyes are drawn to the 6'6" ork with the chipped tusk,

or the 6'5", charismatic elf! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Koekepan]

My broader point is that appearance sits in a context, so it is up to how Blue presents himself.